Gregor Ojstersek

Micromanagement is a symptom.

The cause is unclear outcomes.

Define done and trust will follow.

Velocity isn’t more tickets.

Velocity is fewer handoffs, faster feedback, and smaller batches.

Micromanagement fades when “done” is defined:

1. Write the outcome.
2. Name the owner.
3. Agree on the check-in.

Leaders remove ambiguity, blockers, and fear.

In that order.

5 phrases that raise safety:

1. You decide.
2. I could be wrong.
2. Show me the draft.
4. Let’s try a small test.
5. Thanks for flagging this.

High standards aren’t pressure.

They’re precision:

- Clear definitions
- Fair expectations
- Predictable results

5 questions that unblock teams:

1. What would we cut first?
2. What does “good” look like?
3. Who owns this by end of day?
4. What’s the smallest shippable?
5. What’s the risk we’re not naming?

Your leverage shifts:

• 1 team → context & clarity
• 3 teams → delegation & coaching
• 5+ teams → structure & strategy

3 signals you’re ready for multiple teams:

1. You coach weekly
2. You empower leads
3. You measure outcomes, not effort

3 signals you’re faking certainty:

• Vague language
• Random fixes
• No questions

Switch to clarity: logs, metrics, timelines.

Make “ask great questions” your unfair advantage.

Clarity beats confidence theater.

3 mistakes I made as a first-time engineering manager:

1. Involved in every detail
2. Doing too much myself
3. Focusing on things I couldn’t control

Fix: define outcomes, delegate, narrow scope.

3 senior phrases:

• “I’m not sure yet.”
• “Let’s explore together.”
• “X might know.”

Promote the behaviors you want repeated, in public.

Coach the rest, in private.

Two engineers say “I don’t know.”

One follows with silence.

One follows with a plan.

Only one builds credibility.

Conway’s Law in practice:

Messy leadership → messy architecture.

Clean up communication first.

If you fear looking junior, you’ll stay junior.

Trade ego for learning speed.

Interview tip: show your approach.

“I’d check A, confirm B, experiment with C.”

Reasoning beats recall every single day.

Make “ask great questions” your unfair advantage.

Clarity beats confidence theater.

Managers have been vibe coding forever 😂

4 signals your “I don’t know” is credible:

1. You meet deadlines
2. You share progress
3. You escalate early
4. You close the loop

5 manager habits that compound:

1. One decision log
2. Daily public praise
3. Quarterly growth plans
4. Weekly written priorities
5. Fast “no” to protect focus

This is the advice that worked best for me over the past 3 years writing online:

Don’t worry about perfect timings. As long as you achieve your daily goals, you’re doing great!

Daily goals > perfect timings

5 signals you’re creating owners, not doers:

1. They write the plan
2. They propose options
3. They review without you
4. They measure outcomes
5. They ask for constraints, not tasks

5 questions that unblock teams:

1. What would we cut first?
2. What does “good” look like?
3. Who owns this by end of day?
4. What’s the smallest shippable?
5. What’s the risk we’re not naming?

I am convinced that management is mistaken for leadership.

Spreadsheets and status reports might keep projects alive, but they don’t inspire people to do their best work.

True leadership sparks ownership, creativity, and growth across the team.

If everything is urgent, nothing is clear.

Your job as a leader is to make priorities obvious and trade-offs explicit.

A great sprint isn’t “more tickets done.”

It’s fewer surprises, tighter feedback loops, and one decision that makes next week easier.

Most leaders think great culture is free snacks and slogans.

In reality, great culture is:

• Clarity, ownership, and high standards.
• Feedback loops instead of blame loops.
• Managers as multipliers, not micromanagers.

Leaders protect calendars for deep work and evenings for real life.

Boundaries are culture.